BRIEF - Props and Iconography

To mirror our chosen hybrid psychological/thriller, our group needed to carefully deliberate over the suitable iconography to anchor the resounding themes, enigmas and stereotypes we were trying to convey.

It universally appears that Props and Iconography play a vital role within the world of cinema. They conjure up pre-conceived notions in the audiences’ mind, and instantly mirror the genre we are trying to convey.

Within our own two minute Thriller we will attempt to depict a young male, on the daily commute back home. The first piece of iconography associated to the young male will be a rigid black briefcase. One usually links such iconography with the normality of his profession. Therefore, the audience will primarily feel reassured that this male is legitimately normal, as he blends in with the sea of commuters enveloping him.

Secondly, he will be primarily seen wearing glasses. This prop is vital, as impaired vision within the media is represented under disability. Unlike the orthodox perfection of protagonist/antagonist such as Arnold Swarchenegger, we will present someone with actual blemishes and natural issues within their own life (influenced by Bruce Willis, Die Hard), which generally adds to the realism of the film.

During the primary montage sequence, the third prop introduced is a daily paper on the train. Whether he will be reading it or not is irrelevant. However, the fact it is there once again grounds the film, intensifying the realism of the daily commute. It will also reinforce the fact that this is merely another day for the character, which is extremely daunting once the audience are aware of the ‘real man’ at the warehouse.

As the montage draws to an end the warehouse sequence will commence. Being that this scene revolves around torture, we will need the basic utensils in order to shoot. As the victim is already tied-up, we will need some rundown rope, which is frayed and ripped to convey how the body has writhed and struggled for freedom.

Preferably, we will need a rickety, decrepit chair to once again mirror the age of the dilapidated warehouse and rope. This universal theme of age similarly mirrors the monotony of his daily journey, as the enigma will arise - how often does he commit such a horrendous crime?

Influenced by the Marathon Man (1976 John Schlesinger), the antagonist male will present the once familiar briefcase exposing a series of dangerous, sharp and metallic devices, such as a scalpel, hack-saws, hammers etc. As he lays them methodically on a metallic tray, it is vital to note how the use of props (briefcase) juxtaposes in order to catch the audience off-guard and provoke response.

Generally evaluating the sequence, it fundamentally appears that we as a group have devised an idea that fully exploits the audiences’ media trained minds through our props and iconography. I feel as an individual that we have successfully used iconography that mirrors the conventions of a Thriller/Horror, whilst breaking away from what is generally expected to provoke as much audience response as possible.